If you were flying home for the holidays this weekend, chances are your travels were smooth sailing — unless you were booked on Southwest Airlines. The carrier, which experienced severe issues that stranded 2 million travelers last Christmas, canceled hundreds of flights and delayed thousands more Saturday and Sunday, though the situation improved by Monday. Southwest said dense fog in Chicago was the culprit. |
Phoebe the Flamingo keeps travelers company at Tampa International Airport. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) |
|
|
While we were finishing up our holiday shopping Saturday, former President Donald Trump was filing an appeal with a federal court, arguing he should have immunity from prosecution over his claims of "alleged fraud and irregularity" after the 2020 election. A U.S. district judge had denied the claim. The filing came just a day after the Supreme Court demurred from fast-tracking a decision on immunity. |
|
|
3. BEYONCÉ'S FORMER HOME FIRE |
A special place for Beyoncé fans burned early on Christmas morning, but it could have been much worse. Queen Bey's childhood home in Houston caught fire before dawn Monday, but luckily the family who lives there now made it out safely. The Knowles family moved out of the home decades ago. Investigators are trying to figure out what caused the fire. |
| |
Ready to pay those holiday credit card bills? One lucky Powerball winner will have nothing to worry about soon enough (financially, at least). There was not a winner in last night's drawing, so the jackpot is up to $685 million for the next drawing on Wednesday. |
Better check your ticket before you go on a shopping spree. (Giphy) |
| |
Not done with holiday shopping yet, are you? Today the financial festivities keep rolling with Boxing Day. The now-global shopping day started as a time to give gifts to workers or people in need, but now it is another excuse for retailers to offer sales. It's a great time to cash in those gift cards you received, or to figure out what to do with them if they weren't what you wanted. |
|
|
6. FA LA LA LA TAX SEASON |
Sorry to burst your winter wonderland bubble, but here is a PSA as we approach the final days of the 2023 tax year: Once the ball drops, it'll be time to start thinking about paying your yearly taxes. A tax pro from Jackson Hewitt got us thinking about the changes to laws and our own lifestyles that will affect how much we will owe or get back from Uncle Sam. Is this the polar opposite of the most wonderful time of the year? |
|
|
It's the best week of the year to snuggle up on the couch with a cozy blanket and watch your favorite shows. If you're not already on the Sullivan's Crossing bandwagon, perhaps actor Chad Michael Murray, of One Tree Hill and A Cinderella Story fame, can convince you to check out his latest project. |
|
| Pet owners know, New Year's season is fireworks season and there is no season pets hate more than loud-scary-noises season. There are more seasonal struggles that come along with holiday festivities, though. An expert with the Best Friends Animal Society brought Cisco Allen McFlashKitty to the studio to provide important information for pet lovers. While the name Cisco Allen McFlashKitty may not be serious, the information is. We promise. |
|
|
The perfect push-up does exist! Our "Be Well" hosts are constantly trying out new workouts that you can do at home, but this one cuts deep — all the way back to school gym class. Get your hips up and focus down and watch a professional show you how to do it right. Yes, one push-up counts as working out in our book — if it's perfect. No, we are not fitness experts. |
|
|
10. HARLEM GLOBETROTTER GOODNESS |
Do you hear Sweet Georgia Brown just reading the words "Harlem Globetrotters?" It's the perfect happy song for a group of pro-athletes who go to work each day to put smiles on our faces. Globetrotter star Too Tall Winston took peak happiness one step further by showing up at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital to brighten the day for a bunch of deserving kids. |
Too Tall Winston shows hospital heroes that they, too, can be hoops pros. ("On a Positive Note") |
|
|
We just couldn't get enough of the cookie recipes you shared, so we kept baking through the weekend. Here's a look at some of the Dreamy Lemon Cookies our neighbors received thanks to the recipe sent by Christy Harrison. And one final 2023 Bake-Off shoutout to our fellow bakers and foodies who shared their favorite recipes! Thank you Lisa, Vivian, Nicole, Ashlee, Josephine, Karitas, Millisent, Karen P., Judy & Phil, Vanya, Nathan, Kris, Jennifer, Rae, Katie, Christy, Linda, Lucy, Kerri, Robert, Julie, Karen W., Bob, Dana, Coby, Anglea and a few others whose names we didn't catch. |
Dreamy Lemon Cookies (Photo: Dina Ross) |
|
|
|
